Deadly dog mauling, county's response under investigation

Wednesday

Bella, a small mixed breed dog, was attacked by three larger dogs neighbors said have frequently escaped their fence, scaring their Northwood Pines neighbors.

The fatal mauling of a dog in northwest Gainesville by three canines belonging to a neighbor Saturday evening is under investigation for both the incident and for Alachua County Animal Services failing to respond to the scene that day.

Bella, a small mixed breed owned by Linda Swinburn, was attacked when Swinburn was walking her in the Northwood Pines subdivision. Three dogs described as pit bulls owned by Nathaniel Pettiford attacked Bella.

Swinburn has bruised ribs from trying to protect Bella.

Neighbor Colleen Regan, who heard Swinburn screaming and recorded the attack on her cellphone while her husband called 911, said the three dogs had Bella from her neck and legs after pulling her out of her harness and leash.

“One dog had Bella by the neck, one dog had one leg and the other dog had another leg. They were doing a three-way tug of war on this little dog,” Regan said. “Linda was able to run across the street to the owner’s house to get his attention. The neighborhood opened his door, called the dogs. They dropped Bella and went in, and he shut the door.”

Gainesville Police Officer Visvambhara Nicoloff went to the scene. He wrote in his report that he found Swinburn laying in the grass covered in blood and cradling her dog.

He interviewed neighbors who told him the dogs often escape from the fenced yard. Nicoloff requested that Animal Services send an officer to the scene.

“I had Teletype contact Animal Control about the incident and was advised that their On Call officer would not be dispatched and that they would follow up on Monday,” Nicoloff wrote in his report. “I asked Teletype to call them back and advise that the offending dogs are able to escape their yard, as they regularly do, and that Regan and other neighbors were concerned for the safety of their children and animals. Animal Control again refused to respond.”

Swinburn wrote in a text to The Sun that she has difficulty breathing and talking because of bruised ribs she suffered in the attack.

But she described the incident in a post to The Sun’s Facebook page.

“Tonight my dog was brutally attacked and killed in my front yard by 3 pit bulls across the street — this isn’t the only incident which these dogs have attacked innocent people walking their dogs — animal control hasn’t done anything nor to the owners,” she wrote. “My dog is now dead from these pit bulls and the owners show no remorse nor did they control their dogs — I’m reaching out to tell my story because this isn’t the only incident in this neighborhood with these dogs and owner the dogs are a severe danger to the kids and animals that live here — Justice needs to be done!”

Alachua County Assistant County Manager Gina Peebles said Animal Services is investigating the mauling while the county is investigating why Animal Services did not respond.

Pettiford has told investigators he no longer has the dogs. Peebles said Animal Services is trying to get the dogs as evidence in the case.

The on-call officer told the county that the information that was given — that the injured dog was taken to an emergency veterinary clinic and the attacking dogs were confined — indicated that there was no immediate public safety threat that warranted a response.

“I’m trying to get to the bottom of it,” Peebles said. She added county commissioners discussed the matter Tuesday and that “it’s the board’s desire that Animal Services respond to all reports that may affect public safety.”

Alachua County court records show Pettiford was charged in a sworn complaint with animal cruelty in 2006 when investigators found a pit bull on a short chain yelping in the backyard. It had no food or water, and a corroded battery was nearby.

Animal Services had been sent to the house five times before that regarding dogs, the documents said. In one case a dog was eventually euthanized and in another the dog was taken from Pettiford.

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